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Friday, April 6, 2012

Simplicity 2889

About a year ago I saw this ( salmon hue dress on the right ) online at Anne Taylor that I really liked. However the price was a bit too much for me to want to pay. I think it was around $69. So I figured I'd try to just search for a similar pattern & try to make it for less.

Well, I didn't even have to search far since I found this perfect pattern right in my stash. It's by Simplicity #2889. And although it's not an identical match, I found it pretty similar & decided to make view B without making hardly any changes on the design, except on the fitting.

And here's my version of it.

As you can see, the mid section of the dress is a bit different then the original design from Ann Taylor. Their version had about three rows of gathers done using a very skinny elastic on the wrong side of the fabric & theirs was also made out of a knit and was a pullover dress, whereas the the Simplicity pattern I used called for the gathers to be done before hand on both the bodice & the skirt & then I attached them. I used a jersey fabric in a salmon hue & I also lined it & added a zipper on the back ( as instructed on this particular pattern. ). This pattern is also labeled as an "easy" pattern, however I personally thought this should of been labeled more as an intermediate level especially since it called for a lining & a zipper, & the gathers used in the bodice & on the shoulders may be a bit tricky to do for a beginner.

And this is me wearing this dress today actually. It's a little big on me since I've recently lost a few pounds, but rather than taking it in at the moment, I decided to wear it with a belt & paired it with my favorite denim jacket. By the way...here's a breakdown on the total cost to make this dress:

Simplicity Pattern: ( originally purchased at Wallmart for $2.99 )

Salmon color Jersey fabric: 1 7/8 yard for about $4 total

Lining: about 2 yards for about $3

20" zipper: $1

Thread: $1

Total cost: $12

& if you're an experienced beginner or intermediate sewist, you can make this in about 4 hours or less. I usually like to block out a few hours on a Saturday morning or break it up in a few evening sessions during the week.